Cancel your massage: This $1 buy will get *all* the knots out

The shoulder knots I deal with on a daily basis (thanks, hard-core workout classes and terrible posture) are so bad that they keep me up at night. But as a single gal living in New York City (boys, get @ me), I don’t have a partner-slash-in-bed-massage-therapist to help me get them out at night. And since spending money on regular rubdowns at the hands of a professional isn’t exactly in my 2019 budget, I’ve gotta find another solution.

While you can invest in a professional-grade tool or one of those pricey back massagers that vaguely look like they could be used to massage another more…personal area on your body (vibrators, they look like vibrators), experts agree that one of the most effective ways to unwind those shoulder knots also happens to be one of the most effective.

Enter: the lacrosse ball, which is a whole lot more fun to hang out with in your bedroom than most of the lacrosse players I dated in college. “A lacrosse ball is the perfect size ball to release muscles in and around your shoulder,” says Dr. Gary Olson of the LI Spine and Sports Injury Center. “It’s best to lean against the wall, with the ball in between the side of your spine and the wall, then move up and down slowly, massaging any knots or tender areas.” You can also try the same trick with a tennis ball, depending on where your fandom lies.

Your choice piece of sports equipment can also roll out other uncomfy places on your body—I personally like to use a ball on my hamstrings after a long run, and sometimes keep one under my desk to roll under my feet when they start to hurt (that, admittedly, is more from wearing high heels than from any sort of athletic activity, but it still counts).

When you realize that most self-massage tools can run you like 400 dollars, you con consider this simple solution to be one dollar well (and comfortably) spent. Who needs a boyfriend, amiright?!

This is the absolute worst way to sit at your desk, according to physical therapists. And here’s how to have good neck alignment, too, which is also key for your posture.